Movies - TV
Sylvester Stallone Doesn't Think He'll Ever Get The Rights To Rocky Back
By MATTHEW BILODEAU
Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky” not only made the struggling actor a household name, but would go on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Although Stallone wrote the movie, it might be surprising to hear that the actor claims he doesn’t hold any of the series’ rights and explains that those he believed were closest to him took advantage of his inexperience.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Stallone called out “Rocky” producer Irwin Winkler after rumors began circulating of a “Drago” spin-off, criticizing Winkler as “remarkably untalented and parasitical” with an image of Winkler sucking blood from the character. When Stallone reached out to MGM about receiving an equal stake in the series’ future, the studio responded that he “got paid.”
Stallone not having an ownership stake in a franchise he created is surprising, especially since the “Creed” revival is going strong. Luckily, he and Drago actor Dolph Lundgren patched things up, and Stallone’s disagreements with “Creed” star Michael B. Jordan seem to be more about the series’ creative direction. Hopefully, Stallone will one day be able to sort out this decades-long mess.